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Rabat – Palestinians and the international community are mourning the death of the beloved Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who died after having been shot by Israeli forces.
Abu Akleh was murdered on Wednesday after being shot by an Israeli sniper despite wearing her press vest and helmet and being far removed from any local commotion.
The incident took place in the occupied West Bank where Abu Akleh was reporting on Israeli raids at a local neighborhood that serves as a long-term refugee camp for displaced Palestinians. The journalist was taken to hospital in a critical state where she would later be pronounced dead by medical staff.
Eyewitnesses later reported that the Israeli police raided the journalist’s family home in Beit Hanina, northern Jerusalem, and demanded the removal of Palestinian flags from the roof. Numerous Palestinian officials and journalists, such as the Minister of Jerusalem Fadi Al-Hadmi, paid a visit to the family yesterday, according to the Qatar News Agency.
Earlier today, Palestine’s presidential headquarters held Abu Akleh’s state service in Ramallah, West Bank. As Palestinian soldiers carried her coffin to the middle of the square, the public was repeating the following, “O Shireen O Shireen, We are with you!”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas headed the ceremony. In his speech, Abbas reassured the public that the perpetrators of the “insane crime” committed against Abu Akleh will be punished.
Blaming Israeli occupation authorities for the killing of the “Palestinian martyr,” Abass confirmed that the Palestinian authorities refused to participate in a joint investigation committee along with Israeli authorities, who “have committed such a crime.”
“We don’t trust them and we will go immediately through ICJ in order to follow up the perpetrators and the criminals,” he said, adding that Israel is responsible for other crimes “in so many places.”
The Palestinian president praised the “honest, patriotic voice” of the late journalist and her crucial role in conveying the messages and suffering of the Palestinian people in prison and local camps. He further shared his condolences with the general public, Abu Kaleh’s family, and the media community.
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Along with Palestinian condemnation, the killing of the 51-year-old Jerusalem-born reporter sparked international outrage. International organizations, journalists, human rights activists, and organizations, as well as public officials, have all condemned this crime and called for an independent investigation to “unveil the truth.”
“I call for an immediate and thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable. Media workers should never be targeted,” Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process tweeted on Wednesday.
The European Union also issued a statement to “strongly condemn the killing,” recalling that the crime was committed a few days after World Press Freedom day.
“European Union recalls the crucial role played by journalists, media workers, and free and independent media. Our condolences go to her family, friends, and colleagues. Another journalist, Ali Al Samoud, has been wounded,” the statement added.
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Naif Falah also strongly denounced the killing, calling it a crime and violation of international humanitarian law and freedoms of expression and the press.
The hashtag #ShireenAbuAkleh flooded social media platforms. Public figures and citizens have used the hashtag to highlight the atrocities conducted by Israeli authorities and praise the legacy of Abu Akleh. Many suspected that the Israeli sniper who murdered the Al-Jazeera journalist did so through a planned murder or assassination.
Rana Ayyub, a Washington Post journalist, tweeted “Shireen was murdered by an Israeli sniper. Anyone who labels this a casualty of a ‘clash’ is enabling a state that kills in cold blood.” Many tweets and posts echoed Ayyub’s claims.
British MP Zarah Sultana also labeled the killing of Palestinian journalists as “a war crime.”
More details on the death of Shireen Abu Akleh are yet to be unveiled by the separate investigations carried out by Palestinian and Israeli authorities.
